The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-06
A MAGUEY PLANTATION.
An Enterprise in Orange County
Properties of the Plant.
From The Orlando [EIa.l Exporter.


From the Orlando (Fla) Reporter
Perhaps but few people have heard that
Mr.. John A. Pierce, of this city, has started
a maguey plantation in Orange county, and
among those few there are, perhaps, fewer
who know what maguey is good sfor. We
will endeavor to enlighten them ON these
points.
The maguey plant pronounced NAH
gay-ee) Agdrc Americana, very much re-
sembeS our common century plant, with
the exception, perhaps, that it does not at
tain as large a size The chief characters
tics OF the maguey plant lis that it produces
the celebrated pulque, or octi, a favorite
drink with the Mexicans. Pulque is OBJ
tanned from the young and tender flower
bud, which is of great size and quick
growth. This stem OF bud is broken or cut
Off and sort of cup followed out, where
juice can collect This juice is gathered in
bags made of hog skin, and left to ferment
for several days. Pulque is mild intoxi-
cant, something on the order of beer, but
when it is distilled it produces a frightfully
strong and Intoxicating drink called me9cdi,
which is said to be ten times worse than
''forty-rod Jersey lightning
Let it not be supposed for a moment, now
ever, that Mr. Pierce intends to start a
pulque farm, and all ''wetS' who prick up
their ears at the announcement will be dis
appointed. Aside from the peculiar proper
ties mentioned above, the maguey plants
produce some of the finest fibre in the
world. 1t is for this purpose that Mr.. Pierce
proposes TO introduce this plant into Orange
county, and he deserves great credit for be-
ing the first to do So
Mr.. ID. p. Burden, who has become known
all over the country through his invention
of fibre-cleaning machinery, highly APP
proves of this project, and will give the
plant "A thorough trial with his apparatus
From a plantation on Indian river Mr..
Pierce has secured 2,200 maguey plants and
has set them out on his place, which is sit
uated six or eight miles west of here, near
the South Apopka region. The maguey
seems to thrive best on light, well drained
soils, and can stand moderate frosts, like
the century plant. Mr.. Pierce plants them
8 feet apart each way, thus putting about
5000 to the acre. His plants range from 9
inches to 2 feet in height, and he paid l0c.
apiece for them. They require little or no
fertilizer, and no cultivation beyond keep
ing the weeds down and the ground moder.
ately loose.
1t is doubtful if an acre can be made to
yield so much fibre as when set III maguey
plants. The fibre, which is obtained from
the leaves, is of a fine, silky nature, stronger
than sisal hemp and almost as fine as wax.
At three years old the leaves of the plant
attain a size suitable for use. Maguey
leaves often attain length of five feet and
breadtA of six inches. Such leaf would
produce at least half pound of clean fibre,
and when one figures out number of leaves
on a single plant, and the number of plants
grown on an acre, some idea may be formed
of its enormous productiveness.
Mr.. George Young, who lives near Or
lando, has also decided to give the maguey
plant a trial, and has started plantation of
them. The plants are propagated by suckers,
which hardly ever fail to take root, and
grow if planted on suitable land.